President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on Minnesota officials Friday, claiming fraud in the state far exceeds earlier estimates and threatening Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) with punishment he said could be “worse than jail.”
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump accused Minnesota lawmakers of allowing massive misuse of federal funds and said the true scale of fraud was greater than the roughly $19 billion previously projected.
“Minnesota FRAUD is far greater than $19 billion,” Trump wrote, alleging that federal officials were aware of the wrongdoing and failed to intervene.
The president pointed to the Feeding Our Future scandal, a sweeping case involving misuse of funds intended for child nutrition programs, as evidence of systemic failures in the state.
Aimee Bock, the former head of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, was convicted on multiple counts of fraud, bribery, and conspiracy related to the diversion of federal money.
Prosecutors have alleged that as much as half of the roughly $18 billion in federal support sent to Minnesota since 2018 may have been stolen or improperly claimed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said in December that the fraud uncovered in Minnesota went far beyond isolated misconduct.
“The magnitude cannot be overstated,” Thompson said, calling the scheme “staggering, industrial-scale fraud.”
Trump directly blamed Democratic leadership in the state, accusing them of either corruption or incompetence in allowing the misuse of taxpayer funds.
He singled out Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), writing that Walz was “either the most CORRUPT government official in history, or the most INCOMPETENT.”
Walz has condemned the fraud uncovered in the Feeding Our Future case and ordered a third-party audit of 14 high-risk Medicaid programs in response.
Trump also leveled sharp criticism at Omar, tying her to the broader controversy and suggesting criminal consequences in his social media post.
The president’s remarks come as Minnesota remains under heightened scrutiny from federal authorities, including increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the state, per the Daily Mail.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced that Somalis living in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status would be required to leave by March 17.
TPS protections for Somalis were renewed under former President Joe Biden in 2022, citing instability, violence, and humanitarian crises in Somalia.
Trump said the revocation was necessary to protect national security and blamed the Biden administration’s immigration policies for allowing fraud and crime to flourish.
Omar, who was born in Somalia and later became a U.S. citizen, has repeatedly criticized Trump’s rhetoric and immigration actions.
She was targeted earlier this week during a town hall event in Minneapolis, when a man sprayed her with a liquid later identified as apple cider vinegar.
Omar responded to Trump’s comments by accusing him of fueling threats against her and the community she represents.
Despite the political fallout, Walz announced this week that he does not plan to seek elected office again, saying he intends to serve in other capacities.
